


operation get jaehyun and taeyong together

by jonginnie



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Fluff and Crack, Humor, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Sexual Tension, So are the others, abuse of the word bro, innocent taeyong, mark and johnny are dumb
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-12-12 12:12:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11736816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jonginnie/pseuds/jonginnie
Summary: just your average day of the nct students attempting to get taeyong and jaehyun together once and for all.





	1. bro buddies

**Author's Note:**

> this is rushed;;;;
> 
> pls love this story even tho it's word vomit....

it’s six in the morning, and seven boys—correction,  _ men— _ are huddled behind a bush of their high school, all arguing with one another until the youngest finally puts everyone to silence.  __

 

“operation get jaehyun and taeyong together commences!” donghyuck calls out eagerly. the rest of them look at him funny as a series of replies and complaints crumple his so called plan.

 

“can’t they get together themselves?”

 

“i thought they were already together.”

 

“fuck jaehyun and taeyong!”

 

all of them look at yuta, who says the last statement. he seems indifferent with his usual gummy smile intact and bug eyes popping out eagerly. “i meant that as in like… they are so hot… i would fuck both of them.”

 

donghyuck gets distracted at the sight of both jaehyun and taeyong in front of him. “guys, it’s them, shh!” almost immediately, everyone finds a spot in the bush where they can watch from to spy on their two best friends, which is totally not creepy.

 

the two of them are walking casually. jaehyun momentarily places his hand around taeyong’s waist as they walk past a narrow path to avoid him from bumping into anything. sicheng squeals at the sight, silently saying something to himself in chinese.

 

jaehyun and taeyong stop once they’re near the school entrance and chat with each other for while. as the former talks about something, taeyong eagerly nods and smiles, his eyes locked on the other.

 

johnny claps and wooes. “those are heart eyes right there, bitch! i see you, lee taeyong!” the rest of them have to shush him. god, americans have no control over their noise.

 

eventually, the pair part ways, eliciting discontent sighs from their nosy friends. as if they all telepathically communicated somehow, they huddle again, placing their hands in the middle.

 

for the second time, donghyuck announces, 

 

“operation get jaehyun and taeyong together commences!”

  
  
  


-

  
  
  


mark nods at johnny as he sees taeyong approach the classroom. he performs the discrete signal they agreed on, violently flapping his arms wildly. “cacaw! cacaw! the eagle is approaching.”

 

the whole class stares. johnny gets out of his seat to stop the younger boy. “stop it! stop it, mark!”

 

taeyong walks into their english classroom, thankfully not having seen or heard anything. johnny and mark freeze like stone as they prepare for their plan.

 

“bro?” johnny whispers.

 

“bro.” mark replies.

 

with that, they begin to set their plan in motion. they are ready to execute the most critically poised plan that will have anyone at their knees— 

 

the pink haired boy plops himself onto his seat, cutely tilting his head and blinking repeatedly as he tries to read the english on the board. and suddenly, the two boys momentarily halt their plan.

 

“ _ oh my god _ , he is so adorable,” johnny cooes, placing his hand over his mouth. “he’s like a little teddy bear.”

 

“i want to pinch his cheeks,” mark adds on. “ah! snap out of it; the show must go on!”

 

johnny nods in agreement. aggressively, almost mirroring the men in black, they stride towards taeyong, faces deadpanned, intent gleaming in their eyes. they pause in front of his desk.

 

“yo, bro.” mark starts.

 

taeyong looks up from his book, confusion laces his features at first but at the sight of familiar faces that he is used to seeing doing weird things, he smiles. “hey, what’s up?”

 

johnny kneels down, resting his head on the edge of the desk, “hey, can you help us with this english word?”

 

taeyong makes a face. “aren’t you both… fluent in english?”

 

johnny worriedly gazes back at mark. he mouths, “i didn’t think about that.” mark’s eyes widen as he attempts to think of something on the spot. he rests his chin on the other side of the desk. 

 

“no, but this word is like… really hard.”

 

“i doubt i can be of any help,” taeyong replies. johnny and mark quiver. “but show me anyway.” they sigh in relief.

 

mark quickly rummages through his backpack, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper with the words “you make me wet between my thighs” written in english in the center of the paper.

 

taeyong squints at the words. his lips warping into different shapes as he deciphers the pronunciation. mark and johnny stare on, hearts in their eyes.

 

“ _ y-you ma… make me wet between my thighs _ . is that what it says?”

 

they snap out of their dazes to respond. 

 

“yeah,” mark says eagerly. “that’s right!”

 

“hey, mark!”

 

“yeah, johnny?”

 

“you know who likes these words?”

 

“i have no idea!’

 

“brother jaehyun does!”

 

“oh my god, bro, you are correct!”

 

taeyong looks back and forth as the two boys in front of him demonstrate oscar worthy acting. of course, he falls oblivious to it. a small grin tugs at the corner of his lips as he asks, “does he really like them?”

 

mark and johnny nod enthusiastically. soon, the bell rings, and everyone pours into their seats. jaehyun walks in, plopping himself in the desk next to none other than taeyong. as the teacher begins her lesson, taeyong gently taps him on the shoulder.

 

“hey, jae,” he whispers softly. jaehyun can’t help but smile at the older, immediately melting at the sound of his voice.  _ “you make me wet between my thighs.” _

 

and at this, he freezes. blood seems to rush to his cheeks at the speed of light, and something twitches in his mind—and maybe somewhere else—as he fully processes the words that had just come out of taeyong’s pure, pink mouth.

 

“w-what?”

 

_ “you make me wet between my thighs.” _ taeyong repeats. a genuine smile is fixed onto his features, so jaehyun assumes that the older doesn’t know what he’s saying, meaning only one thing. within point five seconds, his head is cocked around, facing the direction of the culprits, johnny and mark. johnny bites his lip eagerly while mark gives him a thumbs up. jaehyun just thinks about how punchable they look right now. instead, he turns back to taeyong and suddenly, he’s an angel again.

 

“tae, you shouldn’t say that.”

 

the other boys tilts his head, a puzzled expression tugging on his face. jaehyun scribbles something in his notebook before gently pushing it towards taeyong. “try saying that instead.”

 

taeyong carefully recites the words on the piece of paper. “ _ you make me happy _ .”

 

jaehyun smiles, dimples peeking out and everything, he brushes his fingers over taeyong’s hand. “ _ you make me happy too, tae.” _

 

“awwww!” mark and johnny coo from the back. their hands are interlocked with one another as they admire the fairytale scene in front of them.

 

“bro, that is too cute.”

 

“bro, agreed.”

 

“brogreed?”

 

“brogreed.”

 

a piece of paper is kicked in their direction. johnny picks it up, immediately becoming startled.

 

_ “you guys are getting beaten when this class ends.” _

 

mark peeks at the paper, a small gasp escaping his lips. “w-who could’ve written this?”

 

“bro, i don’t know!”

 

jaehyun should just beat them right there. 

  
  



	2. campfire bonding

field trips are a common occurrence in the lives of high schoolers. they are utilized as a way to enhance the minds of students beyond the average classroom, and in yuta’s perspective, the average love scenario.

 

yuta has always been the suave guy of their friend group. once, he had gotten six numbers in a single night; only three more, and he would’ve gotten a complete phone number! 

 

so, when he hears about the school trip to a campground. he knows he can turn it into a trip to destiny for taeyong and jaehyun.

 

which is why he calls an emergency operation meeting just before they get on the bus.

 

“this better be good, yuta, i’m fucking freezing!” johnny cries out. he rubs his hands together, attempting to find warmth in the friction they create. physics.

 

another string of complaints follow, but yuta and his viking size ego are able to block them out. “listen, listen, i know how desperate you guys are to hear all about my plan—”

 

“you forced us to come here!”

 

“—and i assure you that by the end of this trip, jaehyun and taeyong will be fucking behind trees, playing handsy under the blanket—” 

 

“no way any plan of yours is going to work, yuta!” donghyuck remarks.

 

yuta only shakes his head. poor, poor donghyuck. the boy is just that… a boy. he could never understand a man’s view.

 

“hey, hyuck,” yuta cooes, stifling a giggle. “i know you’re jealous but—”

 

“me?  _ jealous _ ?”

 

“yeah, the little green monster got you or something?”

 

“no, i’m actually fine—”

 

“SHUT UP!” sicheng shouts. everyone turns their attention to him, all sporting the same shocked expressions. sicheng smiles sweetly, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. “i mean um… please be quiet.”

 

the familiar engine of the bus goes off, and the boys panic as the busses leave one by one. they chase after them feverently.

 

“wait! wait! you are leaving without the most important person!” yuta shouts.

  
  
  


-

  
  


thankfully, they are able to get on the bus just on time. yuta owes his gratitude to the friendly staff of the bus line.

 

_ (“i’m glad you came to your senses.” _

 

_ “yeah, yeah, kid just go to your seat.”) _

 

he scores the best seat in the house. the seat right behind jaehyun and taeyong. in front of him, the latter is snuggled closely into the blonde’s chest, who is gently running a hand through his pink locks. he’s dozing off slightly, and wow that’s fucking cute… but like… not as cute as yuta. yuta decides he needs to savour this moment, and possibly take credit for it. so, he takes a very well executed, subtle—

_ snap! _

 

immediately, jaehyun turns around, clearly alarmed.

 

“did… did you just take a picture of us?”

 

yuta is astounded. he can’t believe how ridiculous jaehyun is being right now. “me?  _ me? _ ” he looks around, exasperated. “you think  _ i _ took a picture of  _ you _ guys?”

 

“i saw you.” taeil, his seatmate, says plainly. “you took a picture.”

 

“oh, and were you in this conversation mister moon? i don’t think so!”

 

“so you  _ did _ take a picture of us.” jaehyun repeats.

 

“what—”

 

_ think, yuta, think. you can get yourself out of this one. you’re nakamoto yuta for god’s sake! _

 

“—can’t a guy take a picture of his best buds, nowadays?” he laughs nervously. “come on, now!”

 

taeil and jaehyun stare at him.

 

slight movements from taeyong immediately capture the attention of jaehyun. the pink haired boy opens his eyes slowly, glancing around at his surroundings. the rest of the bus stares in awe.

 

“are we there yet?”

 

“almost,” everyone chimes in.

 

“o… kay, thanks,” taeyong says, a bit unsettled.

 

soon enough, the bus pulls into a vacant parking lot. before it can come to a full stop, yuta sprints for the door. when the driver stands up to stop him, he is tackled down back to his seat.

 

“i need to go!” he claims.

  
  
  


-

  
  
  


finally, on the camping site, taeyong sits on a log as he waits for jaehyun to finish setting up the fire. he rubs his hands together, seeing his breathe in the wind. as it clears up, he realizes the younger boy only has a thin jacket, and his hands, bare, despite the freezing temperature. taeyong makes a face before squatting down next to him.

 

“jae,” he whines, throwing the other boy off guard. “you’re going to catch a cold.” he grabs his hands, warming them up between his own.

 

while taeyong is focused on their hands, jaehyun smiles softly. he breaks away from the older’s grip, eliciting a whine from him, and interlocks their fingers together.

 

“it’s warmer this way,” he utters, placing a soft kiss on the knuckle of taeyong’s hand. taeyong’s cheeks are already flushed red from the cold, but they burn a bit brighter.

 

“hey, lovebirds!” yuta bellows out, totally not reading the situation. he plops himself onto the log next to them as taeyong and jaehyun quickly release each other’s hands. “yo, taeil! over here!”

 

the oldest boy scruffles towards them, clearly not interested in whatever shenanigans yuta has planned. he sits down next to him, ready to flee the moment things become more uncomfortable than they already are.

 

“come sit, you two!” yuta beckons at them, patting the empty spot on the log. “shoot! there’s only one spot left.”

 

“it’s fine we can stay he—”

 

“oh! i got an idea!” yuta proclaims, a little too loudly. “one of you can sit on the other’s lap!”

 

taeil mentally facepalms.

 

from the other side of the site, doyoung and johnny lug a suitcase around. it’s wet and damaged all over.

 

yuta laughs obnoxiously at the two. “wow! i feel bad for whoever owns that!” he says, wiping a tear from his eye.

 

“this is your luggage, yuta!” doyoung barks back.

 

“what—well, shit, doyoung! my fucking suitcase can’t swim!”

 

“who was the one who decided to throw it down without realizing where he threw it?”

 

“not me!”

 

“wh—WHO ELSE WOULD IT HAVE BEEN?”

 

yuta and doyoung are face to face now, hand gestures and everything. this is what happens when the two loudest students in the school clash. johnny attempts to separate them.

 

“stop it! stop it, you two! you’re embarrassing me!”

 

mark, donghyuck, and sicheng watch the scene intently, cheering, “fight! fight! fight!”

 

taeyong hesitantly stands up, approaching the cage match slowly.

 

“please stop fighting, guys,” he expresses worriedly. his brows are slightly scrunched together in concern. his lips are curved downwards, and a small pout graces his features. his large, doe brown eyes peek out from under his bangs, pleading them to stop.

 

all at once, a chorus of “awww”s are sang throughout the campground. and finally, all is at peace again.

  
  
  


-

  
  
  


“and then jaehyun and taeyong fucked.”

 

“no, you liar!” taeil snaps.

 

“me? i’m lying?” yuta responds, dumbfounded.

 

“yes, you are obviously lying!” donghyuck barks, silencing the boy. “where are those two anyway?”

 

the other six boys look around the tent they are all squeezed into.

 

“um, guys, they obviously wouldn’t be inside this tent,” donghyuck states, exasperated.

 

like a pack of wolves—idiotic wolves—they all nod at once, pouring out of the tent to look for taeyong and jaehyun.

 

johnny unzips the entrance of one of the tents, immediately cooing at the sight inside of it. the rest of them crowd around him and display similar reactions.

 

“how fucking cute!”

 

“i think i just got diabetes from this.”

 

“adorable!”

 

inside the tent, taeyong’s head is buried into the crook of jaehyun’s neck. the younger boy has his arm laced around his waist, pulling him in closer. the both of them resemble sleeping greek gods.

 

“this is going in the yearbook!” yuta shouts as he snaps a picture of the scene.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pls don't expect daily updates from me... i got inspired bc i didn't think that many people would like this story so tysm! :0
> 
> your comments r sweet and motivating so thank u to those who commented <33
> 
> i have a lot of other nct stories i want to finish and write (all about jaeyong),,, i have one about nct members having to deal with horny jaeyong (so like the opposite of this story LOL) and another kind of smutty one hehe...
> 
> anyways i hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	3. spin the way to the heart

“well, he held my hand while we were crossing the river and then—”

 

“you guys kissed.”

 

“n-no, we didn’t, but he gave me his jacket when i was getting cold—”

 

“and then he got naked for you.”

 

“god, no! anyways, when we got back to the campground, he shared his hot chocolate with me—”

 

“and then you shared your virginity with him!”

 

“yuta, please!” taeyong cries out, a slight pout now becoming prominent on his face. “we’re just friends, nothing else!”

 

at that, yuta, johnny, sicheng, and donghyuck burst out into a fit of laughter. 

 

taeyong’s cheeks turn scarlet as he playfully punches johnny’s shoulder. “it’s true! besides,” he trails off. “it would be weird if it went further… at least that’s what jae said.”

 

there’s something sad about his tone, and sicheng has a sudden urge to punch jaehyun in the face. he can probably act on it and blame johnny later on.

  
  
  


.

  
  
  


“hey, sich—OW! WHAT THE FUCK?”

 

“it was johnny.”

 

“i saw you—”

 

“it was johnny.”

  
  
  


.

  
  
  


taeyong worriedly holds an ice pack to jaehyun’s face. “jae, hold still!”

 

jaehyun, purple and bruised eye, not so subtly enjoying taeyong’s fussing and babying, replies, “it’s cold.”

 

“it’ll help,” the elder nags. he leans in close, and jaehyun feels his breath against his skin. without warning, he pulls the boy into his lap, eliciting a tiny shriek from taeyong.

 

“jae!”

 

“it’s easier for you, isn’t it?” except, it’s not easier because jaehyun has a tight hold around his waist and even with a black eye, he still has a dreamy look on his face that makes taeyong freeze up.

 

“woah, woah, woah, keep it pg kids,” johnny says, totally ruining the moment, as he places his lunch tray on the table. he plops an empty bottle in the center, puzzling the other two.

 

“what’s that?” taeyong, snaking out of jaehyun’s hold, asks. he gazes at the bottle, poking it curiously.

 

“this,” johnny starts, a cocky expression on his face and smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. “is american magic.”

 

jaehyun snorts at this. his face is laced with irritation, and it may or may not be at the fact that johnny sucks at reading situations and interrupted his time with taeyong. but, of course, he would never voice that out, and instead, puts on the most dimpley smile he can muster.

 

johnny begins swinging his head wildly, resembling a rockstar on steroids, and before jaehyun or taeyong can question it, the other eight boys miraculously all come pouring in at the exact same time. mark not so secretly gives him a high five under the table.

 

“nice signal, bro!”

 

“thanks, bro!”

 

taeil clears his throat a little too loudly. “johnathan, is that an empty bottle i see?”

 

“why… yes, taeil!”

 

“an empty bottle!” yuta yells. everyone stares at him. johnny face palms. doyoung slightly pulls him aside.

 

“goddammit, yuta! we’re not doing that plan,” he hisses. “we’re doing plan b, remember?”

 

yuta bellows out a long “oh” before nodding in understanding. “johnathan, is that an empty bottle i see?” everyone stares with a mix of pity and bewilderment—even taeyong. “what?”

 

“anyways!” johnny, clearing his throat, exclaims. “let’s play spin the bottle!” everyone except jaehyun and taeyong high five him and give him pats on the back for such a wondrous, definitely not planned, idea.

 

taeyong, a puzzled expression prominent on his face, worriedly gazes at the bottle. he sends a pleading look to the other members, clearly not familiar with the foreign game. “um, how do you play spin the bottle?”

 

instantly, everyone turns accusing index fingers at johnny—a middle finger in yuta’s case—for failing to explain the rules to the overtly adorable, clueless boy.

 

“johnny, have you no heart?”

 

“god, johnny! just rip taeyong’s heart to shreds if you hate him so much!”

 

“johnny, you inconsiderate slut!”

 

johnny gulps; he’s never received so much backlash at once. “calm down, guys,” his voice instantly become five octaves higher and two strokes gentler as his eyes glaze over the pink haired boy. “listen, tae, you spin the bottle, and whoever it lands on, you have to—”

 

“FUCK!”

 

everyone looks at yuta in disbelief.

 

“—you have to  _ kiss _ .” johnny finishes, a stern look directed towards yuta. taeyong nods his head enthusiastically, an excited grin on his face, and his pink fluff of hair bobbing to his movement. suddenly, the bottle is no longer needed because everyone else at the table can kiss taeyong’s rosy cheeks right at that moment. “you can go first.”

 

taeyong hesitantly flicks the neck of the bottle, instantly putting it into a 360 rotation. while this plan had originally been formed for the sake of jaehyun and taeyong, everyone secretly hopes that it lands on them—some more than others. (yuta has his fingers crossed under the table, eyes shut tightly, whispering some type of japanese prayer that doesn’t go unnoticed by those near him—sicheng and taeil—who give him dirty looks.)

 

the bottle, to everyone’s disappointment, lands on taeyong. “do i kiss myself?” he chuckles.

 

donghyuck, thinking of something on the spot, blurts out, “you can choose who you want to kiss!” and suddenly the atmospheres becomes thicker than snow. the rest of the boys stare at taeyong expectantly. even jaehyun, who originally seemed indifferent, peers at the elder, curious about his choice, totally not because he wants to be chosen. taeyong is visibly sweating as he scans the faces around him. he doesn’t want to choose. he loves all of them equally—most of the time—and equally wants to kiss all of them,  _ right? _

 

_ don’t kid yourself, lee taeyong! you know who you want to kiss! _

 

_ but what about the others? _

 

_ who cares about the others? _

 

_ i do! _

 

just when taeyong looks like he’s about to slip into some kind of panic attack, jaehyun swiftly lifts the boy’s chin with his index finger, gently planting his lips against the boy’s cheek. almost immediately, the rest of the table erupts into fits of tantrums and protests. donghyuck sighs heavily, clearing the hooligans out. as they walk out of the cafeteria, he scolds them, “jesus christ! do you guys not remember the whole point of this operation?”

 

this leaves only two people at the table. taeyong and jaehyun. taeyong, rosy cheeked and inadvertent gaze, promptly stands up. “i should go too—”

 

“no way,” jaehyun declares, almost whining. he pulls the other boy back down, wrapping his arms around his waist, and resting his chin on his shoulder. “my eye still hurts.”

 

“f-fine, but only ‘cause your eye still hurts,” taeyong stutters out. he breaks free from jaehyun’s hold to once again apply ice on the bruised eye. 

 

through his good eye, jaehyun stares at taeyong, admiring his chocolate hued orbs and plush, pink lips, and cheeks still slightly tinted pink from earlier. “you would’ve chosen me anyway.”

 

“nu-uh,” taeyong retorts, definitely not lying. “oh yeah, i’ve been meaning to ask you. who gave you this black eye?”

 

jaehyun thinks long and hard.

 

“johnny.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> originally, this was going to be a short fic with new members attempting something in every chapter but i want to torture you guys a bit so NO, jaeyong is NOT getting together that quickly! more antics to come!


	4. unhappy holidays

there have been several rare sightings of santa claus throughout the years, but doyoung swears he’s seeing something even rarer this holiday: an angry lee taeyong.

 

taeyong is never angry.

 

except for now.

 

the pink haired boy buries himself in doyoung’s comforter, not uttering a word but clearly radiating waves of anger. doyoung can feel them as he watches him from his desk chair, unsure of how to handle his tantrum bound best friend.

 

the reason behind taeyong’s anger? easy. seven letters, two syllables, one freakishly good looking guy: jaehyun. jaehyun had told doyoung and the rest of their friends that he was going overseas to vacation with his family for winter break. this is the kicker: he made everyone keep it a secret from taeyong. and when jaehyun tells you to keep a secret, you  _ keep it _ . of course, taeyong became aware but only once the blonde was safely departed and thousands of miles away.

 

“tae, it’s not that bad—”

 

“it is that bad!” taeyong wails. the corners of his eyes are tear struck while his bottom lip puffs out. “he promised me we would spend christmas together.”

 

doyoung feels a bit of a culture shock when taeyong snaps at him but also pity. not for taeyong, but for jaehyun. god, imagine having taeyong, the most beautiful man alive, hate you. doyoung is really glad he can’t relate. he wonders why jaehyun even decided to keep it a secret. so much for getting them together. 

  
  


.

  
  
  


_ from: jaehyunnie  _ _ ♡ _

 

_ yongie~ _

 

_ how are you today? _

 

taeyong lets out a small “hmph” before promptly shoving his phone into his pocket, focusing back on the video game in front of him.

 

“who was that?” mark, setting his controller down  _ very _ slowly, asks.

 

“the most worthless man in the world.”

  
  
  


_. _

  
  
  


_ from: Blocked Number _

 

_ are you still mad at me? >< _

 

_ i’m sorry for not telling you. _

 

_ can we talk? _

 

taeyong hurls his phone across the room. in a much more calm manner, he sits back at his spot in front of the coffee table, acting as if he did not just hurl his phone across the room, leaving everyone in silence. 

 

“um,” taeil hesitates. “are you okay?”

 

“yes,” taeyong hums. except, it’s not his usual humming, and he sounds like he could murder the next person who tries to cross him (rip jaehyun). “let’s get back to monopoly.”

 

game night is awfully awkward that day.

  
  
  


_. _

  
  
  


_ from: Blocked Number _

 

_ taeyong? :( _

 

“hey,” taeyong says, approaching sicheng. “you're pretty good with phones, right?”

 

sicheng nods, taking taeyong’s phone and beginning to tamper with it. “what do you want me to do?”

 

“can you permanently block this number?”

 

“isn’t this jae—”

 

“also, can you permanently erase him from my life so i never have to experience such a heart wrenching form of betrayal ever again?”

 

“um… i think you need a therapist for that.”

  
  
  


.

  
  
  


it’s two nights before christmas when all the boys, minus jaehyun of course, all gather at johnny’s house to exchange their secret santa presents. taeil hands a sloppily wrapped box to yuta, who sniffs it warily.

 

“why do you need to smell it,” taeil barks.

 

“what if it’s weird?” yuta snaps back.

 

“there’s nothing weirder than you!”

 

with that, yuta grudgingly rips open the present. upon opening it, he is surprised with a variety pack of his favorite japanese ramen. “aye, thanks taeil!” the elder nods, satisfied with his response. yuta stands up to announce which lucky fellow he had for secret santa.

 

“so, this person is very important to to me,” he begins, and the rest of the boys groan.

 

“get on with it!”

 

“hurry the fuck up!”

 

“before i retire, please!”

 

“fine! i had sicheng. come and get your present!” yuta screeches, holding his arms open. as sicheng stands up to retrieve his present, he realizes there isn’t anything to collect and his smile slowly fades.

 

“um, where is my present?” he asks, scanning the area around them in case it is hidden somewhere.

 

“me. i’m the present.” yuta helpfully explains. before anyone can say another word, sicheng stomps out of the room in angry silence. the rest of them can hear him curse in chinese before he comes back, a giant smile plastered on his face. everyone shivers.

 

donghyuck promptly clears his throat and claps his hands together. “okay! anyway, we actually have a surprise for taeyong!”

 

taeyong, who has been curled into a tiny ball at the edge of the couch, finally lifts his head from his fetal position for the first time of the night. he tilts his head, his interest clearly piqued. “what is it?”

 

the boys had manipulated the secret santa system so that jaehyun and taeyong got each other. it was before taeyong and jaehyun became engaged in world war iii, of course. they couldn’t give each other their gifts because of obvious factors.

 

donghyuck disappears into another room before returning with a laptop in his hands. on the screen is a video skype call to—

 

“JAEHYUN!” everyone but taeyong practically screech. the latter sits still, refusing to say a word, even as the laptop is placed onto his lap.

 

from the other end of the call, jaehyun laughs with a dazzling smile on his face—taeyong doesn’t return it.

 

“taeyong, hey—”

 

before he can finish his sentence, taeyong shrugs the laptop off of himself, abruptly standing up and leaving the room. a few moments of agonizing silence pass by before johnny decides to break it, looking straight into the webcam.

 

“bro, you fucked up.”

 

jaehyun lets out a distressed sigh loud enough for the whole room to hear. “he hasn’t responded to any of my texts, and now, he doesn’t even want to look at me.”

 

yuta shakes his head in pity. “must be hard. can’t relate.”

 

donghyuck rolls his eyes, crouching in front of the laptop. “why did you even keep your vacation a secret?”

 

“well, that calls for another secret,” jaehyun responds desolantly.

 

“fuck secrets!” johnny suddenly snaps. “a secret got you into this mess, and now, taeyong is hurt! and i can’t bare to see him in any more pain! how could you do this to the cutest person alive!” he rambles on.

 

donghyuck makes a signal at mark to get him out of the room. mark easily complies, escorting his bro out of the room. turning his attention back to jaehyun, he asks, “you know, johnny has a point, right? what other secret could you have?”

 

jaehyun shuffles for a few moments. looking down and scanning around for something. finally, he sighs, and replies, “i’m coming back on christmas day. i was going to surprise him with that… but it looks like he’s too mad at me for this to happen.”

 

“oh shit, there goes our plan.”

 

“huh, what plan—”

 

“bye, jaehyun! have fun!” donghyuck, ending the call, anxiously shouts. “goddammit, yuta!”

  
  
  


.

  
  
  


_ From: best friend in ten years _

 

_ taeyong, are you busy?! _

  
  


_ To: best friend in ten years _

 

_ um kind of… it’s christmas day  _

  
  


_ From: best friend in ten years _

 

_ come over ASAP _

  
  


_ To: best friend in ten years _

 

_ ummmm why??? _

  
  


_ From: best friend in ten years _

 

_ there will be dogs. _

  
  


_ To: best friend in ten years _

 

_ OMW _

  
  
  


_. _

  
  
  


doyoung and donghyuck attempt to restrain a wild taeyong as he tries to escape the back seat of johnny’s car. from the passenger seat, yuta videotapes them, cracking up as he says, “this is going online!”

 

johnny speeds down freeway, constantly yelling out, “guys, you’re stressing me out! i’ll crash this car, right now!”

 

taeyong had eventually found out that there would be no puppies. he had originally wanted to stay home, throw some darts at a picture of jaehyun, and go to sleep. he really doesn’t want to be in the mess he is currently in.

 

“we’ll tell you where we’re going once you stop resisting!”

 

“let go of me! i’ll stop resisting once you tell me where we’re going!”

 

johnny pulls into a busy parking lot. he drives towards the entrance of a building with big letters that read “airport.” 

 

“get out! i’ll find parking and meet up with you guys!”

 

donghyuck and doyoung drag an unwilling taeyong out of the car as yuta, who is still filming, follows behind. taeyong is still squirming and attempting to wriggle out of their holds when they enter the main corridor until his attention is quickly stolen by the sight of jaehyun. the blonde leans his chin on his hand as he fiddles with his luggage tag, but he quickly straightens his posture as soon as he sees taeyong. 

 

when their eyes meet, it’s almost as if their surroundings stop, and everything and everyone no longer exist, and they are the only two people in the world.

 

donghyuck, doyoung, and yuta back away to give the two privacy—yuta still videotapes from afar.

 

taeyong stays still, a conflicted expression that looks like a mix of anger, sadness, and joy settling on his face. it isn’t until jaehyun takes hurried steps towards the boy does he dash straight into the arms of the same guy he wanted to shoot in the face just five minutes ago.

 

“i hate you! i hate you!” he chants repeatedly. he pounds his fists onto jaehyun’s chest, burying his face into the crook of his neck.

 

“i know. i know. i’m sorry,” jaehyun, perching a gentle kiss on the top of the elder’s head, assures. he pulls him in closer, tightening their embrace. he runs a comforting hand against taeyong’s back, using this thumb to rub soothing circles into it. “merry christmas, tae.”

 

“merry christmas,” taeyong responds in a muffled voice. there’s something else that his heart is urging him to say, but he can’t find the words. so, instead, he just snuggles closer into jaehyun’s hold, enjoying the moment.

 

from afar, doyoung, donghyuck, yuta, and johnny—he found parking—all coo and squirm at the scene of the lovebirds.

 

“you think they’re together, now?”

 

a promising smile graces donghyuck’s features. “maybe.”

  
  
  


.

  
  
  


_ [Group Chat: NEO CULTURE BIFFLES] _

 

_ yuta sent a video _

 

_ yuta: airport lovinnnn _

 

_ sicheng: AWWWWW _

 

_ mark: BROOOO _

 

_ taeil: they’ll marry before i do… _

 

_ taeyong: ahhhh >< guys, we’re just friends!!!! i just really missed jaehyunnie! _

 

_ jaehyun: haha yeah, don’t take it too far… i missed you a lot too tae :) _

 

_ johnny: WHAT _

 

_ mark: THE _

 

_ yuta: WHAT THE FUCK _

 

_ donghyuck: FUCK _

 

_ donghyuck: … _

 

_ donghyuck: GODDAMMIT YUTA. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if it wasn't already obvious, i wing this story a lot...... i actually had a bit of this chapter written a while back which explains why it's christmas.... happy early holidays!
> 
> btw if u didn't know "best friend in ten years" is doyoung bc he always writes that for taeyong in rolling papers and shit and its cute... DOTAE RISE
> 
> ive been reading all ur comments on this and my other jaeyong fic you guys are too nice sigh, anyway i want to ask - what is your fav jaeyong moment?? :)) mine isn't a single moment, it's like their little moments during nct life in bangkok bc that is what made me ship them in the first place <333 :')


	5. storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: this chapter will be a bit angsty;;; mostly bc it's more focused around jaehyun/taeyong pov than the other boys
> 
> ok before i give the whole plot away... THANK YOU SM FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND SUPPORT????!!!?!? i didn't expect people to like this story sm and i'm so grateful omg you guys are so sweet i love yall :')
> 
> ps - i promise everything will soon return to light and fluffies eventually

“what do you even think of taeyong anyway?”

 

jaehyun halts his scribbling, setting his pencil down suddenly. he has a mild expression of surprise before it is quickly replaced by his usual tight-lined smile and crescented eyes. there’s something different about them, and doyoung unknowingly shivers.

 

the blonde simply peers at the boy, not meeting him in the eyes. “he’s a good friend,” he trails off. “why?”

 

doyoung rolls his eyes, resting his chin on his hand. “i’m not dumb, and you aren’t either. you know why i asked.”

 

jaehyun opens his mouth to say something, but before he can utter a word, the familiar ring of the bell streams through the classroom. when doyoung lifts a brow, awaiting his reply, he simply gathers his books in his hands, giving him one last curl of his lips before strolling out of the classroom.

 

doyoung is left dumbfounded, alone in the classroom. the teacher sorts through a pile of papers, pausing and glancing at his direction. “you want to help me, kid?”

 

“not really—”

 

“great! i could use some help!”

  
  
  


.

  
  
  


taeyong shuffles through his playlist, attempting to solely focus on choosing a song for his next dance routine, but there’s a tiny voice in his head that keeps distracting him.

 

“it’s just… not normal, taeyong.” 

 

_ there it is again. _

 

“taeyong, are you even listening?”

 

_ it’s still there. _

 

donghyuck sighs, his body laid flat in the middle of the practice room. he waits a few moments in hopes of taeyong’s response. when it doesn’t come, he abruptly sits up, glaring daggers at the elder. apparently, the latter can feel them because he finally tilts his head up from his position, sheepish smile fixed onto his face.

 

“i don’t know what you want me to tell you. i’ve said this like,” he pauses to look up at something in the sky. “—a thousand times. jaehyun and i are just friends.”

 

donghyuck groans accordingly. he runs a frustrated hand through his auburn hair because  _ god _ , he really thought he got it this time. he had viewed, first hand, the waves of love emitting from jaehyun and taeyong’s reunion at the airport. they were so strong that even strangers paused in their busy steps to clap for the happy couple. hell, donghyuck would have done the same. so,  _ yes _ , he’s a little upset that the reunion did absolutely nothing for their relationship.

 

taeyong bounces onto his feet, his head bobbing cutely. his previous tense facial features are no longer to be seen, instead, replaced by genuine giddiness. “wanna watch me make up a dance for the drama club?”

 

donghyuck feigns a gape, looking around and pointing at himself. “me?” he clears his throat. “i would love to! but i have to go vacuum my locker.”

 

taeyong rolls his eyes playfully and chuckles. “okay, whatever. see you later!”

 

“later,” donghyuck barely mutters under his breathe. what is taeyong hiding?

  
  
  


.

  
  
  


“i don’t know,” yuta says, shoving a handful of potato chips into his mouth. “maybe you guys are just overthinking it.”

 

“don’t chew with your mouth full,” sicheng hisses. yuta only responds with a potato chip encrusted smile.

 

“maybe something happened after the airport?” mark suggests. the other boys hum in agreement. 

 

“or maybe,” yuta starts, and everyone else braces themselves, expecting something totally out of context and most likely inappropriate. “they finally realized that they have repressed feelings for each other, and are only now facing the reality of their situations and relationship with one another.”

 

the rest of the boys gawk at yuta.

 

“what?” he asks, his gummy smile coming out.

 

“holy shit, did yuta just outsmart all of us?” doyoung looks like he’s about to have a major breakdown. “i need a moment.”

 

mark and johnny respectively high five the boy, singing out a chorus of “bro”s. sicheng’s jaw hangs open, and he’s both angry and disappointed at himself.

 

“wait, but what are we gonna do?” donghyuck’s question brings upon silence once again. it seems as everyone stops to think, but yuta quickly breaks the silence.

 

“lock them in a room until they fuck!”

 

and suddenly the world is okay again, and the earth is still revolving around the sun just as yuta is still not the brightest star in the world. sicheng and doyoung breathe a sigh of relief.

 

suddenly, the door is roughly opened, leading every one of them to tumble and fall onto one another.

 

“hey! what are you kids doing here?”

 

did they mention they were having their meeting in the janitor’s closet?

  
  
  


.

  
  
  


the air is especially thick around the lunch table.

 

taeyong fiddles with his phone, switching from one app to another, unable to choose one for some reason. jaehyun taps his fingers the table and seems to look at everyone and everything except the incredibly fidgety pink haired boy in front of him. he feels eyes on him, so he glances in the direction of taeyong, swift enough to see the dark, beautiful eyes peering over at him under thick, long eyelashes.

 

he clears his throat, and finally, dark eyes meet light ones, and instantly, jaehyun feels a sinking feeling in his stomach—and maybe somewhere else. it’s not the good type of sinking, and immediately, he looks away, choosing to focus on the table behind the boy. taeyong is relentless, though. he leans over the table, bringing his right hand to lightly brush jaehyun’s cheek. at this, the blonde softens up, meeting his eyes once again, but the same sinking feeling arises, and he doesn’t know what to do anymore.

 

“jae, are you okay?” he leans in closer. jaehyun holds his breath. “you look sick.”

 

moving away from his touch, jaehyun coughs to his side, averting his eyes from the beauty that is now only inches away from his own face. “i probably picked up something during winter break.”

 

taeyong finally retreats to his seat across from jaehyun. it has always been that way. taeyong always sits across from jaehyun at the lunch table. taeyong always sits with jaehyun on the bus.  _ oh _ , don’t sit there! that’s taeyong’s desk always next to jaehyun’s. when did being next to the pink haired boy become so  _ normal? _

 

thankfully, the rest of their friends begin pouring into the lunchroom, and the air thins with noise and laughter, but a path of it remains thick and blotchy, where taeyong and jaehyun sit across from each other.

  
  
  


.

  
  
  


_ from: brother johnny _

 

_ you like him _

  
  


_ to: brother johnny _

 

_ i don’t. _

  
  


_ from: brother johnny _

 

_ ohhh but…  _

 

_ YOU DO _

  
  


_ to: brother johnny _

 

_ shut up before i kill you. _

  
  


_ from: taeyongie _

 

_ wanna come over to study ^-^ _

  
  


_ to: taeyongie _

 

_ I SAID SHUT UP _

  
  


_ from: taeyongie _

 

_ :( jae? _

  
  


_ to: taeyongie _

 

_ shit. sorry that wasn’t for you. _

  
  


_ from: taeyongie _

 

_ its ok~ _

 

_ are you good? _

  
  


_ to: taeyongie _

 

_ i’m fine. i’ll be there in a few. _

 

_ :) _

  
  
  


_. _

  
  
  


jaehyun shifts uncomfortably as his figure dips into taeyong’s mattress. it seems almost used to his shape, and he only notices that today—he doesn’t like it . taeyong lays flat on his stomach, flipping through a calculus textbook. his baggy shirt slightly reveals his right shoulder. it’s slim and his skin is milky and jaehyun wonders how it would look all bruised— _ god! snap out of it! _

 

he slightly shakes his head, hoping the elder doesn’t notice, but as always, thanks to sharp observation skills, taeyong does notice. he sits up swiftly, closing the textbook in front of him.

 

“maybe we should take a break?”

 

jaehyun nods, clearing his throat. he knows he’s acting strange. he needs to stop. taeyong is just his friend.  _ yes, him and taeyong are just friends, and that is all they ever will be. _

 

“you know… donghyuck and them keep bugging me about us,” taeyong utters effortlessly. his eyes are fixated to the ground. “like our relationship and stuff.”

 

“yeah, me too,” jaehyun responds. he leans in closer to the elder, causing him to retreat slightly. “maybe we need to start bugging ourselves about our relationship.”

 

taeyong blinks rapidly. jaehyun stares straight into his dark eyes, but he can’t seem to do the same. finally, the younger corners him into his wall so he can no longer move or attempt to escape.

 

“tae—”

 

“we should get back to studying! the test is tomorrow, after all. wouldn’t want to be unprepared.”

 

he’s chattering. taeyong knows he’s chattering, and he knows it’s obvious, but he doesn’t know what’s going on or why jaehyun is so close— _ too  _ close—or why his heart is beating to rapidly. or maybe he does know.

 

jaehyun’s palm lays flat against the wall above taeyong’s head. his body is moving on it’s own, and he wants to stop, but he can’t. his face leans closer into taeyong’s. he feels the elder’s breath on his lips.  _ lips _ . taeyong has nice pink, full, luscious lips, and what he would do to—

 

“stop!”

 

jaehyun freezes.

 

“jaehyun,” taeyong’s voice cracks. “please stop.”

 

the blonde is overtaken with a numbing sensation, and his body doesn’t feel good or bad—similar to how he feels at this moment.

 

“sorry,” he says, his voice laced with bitterness. “i should go home.” he leaves out the door before taeyong can say another word. the latter is left alone. he shakes slightly, and he swears he’s never seen that side of jaehyun before in his life. he’s never seen him so upset. tears pinch the edges of taeyong’s eyes, and soon, they begin cascading down his cheeks. 

 

did he just ruin his friendship with jaehyun?

  
  
  


.

  
  
  


_ from: brother johnny _

 

_ just got back from eating dinner _

 

_ you like him _

  
  


_ to: brother johnny _

 

_ maybe i do _

  
  


_ to: brother johnny _

 

_ but he certainly doesn’t like me _


	6. calm OF the storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY IN ADVANCE FOR THE CLICHE

something is off in class today. doyoung senses it as soon as he walks into his math classroom. everyone is the same. everything is the same—WAIT. as he edges closer to his seat, he notices jaehyun. he seems fine. the same gentle, aloof expression on his face, except, he’s not in the right seat. this would be okay, except jaehyun  _ always _ sits next to taeyong’s desk. sometimes, instead of being directly next to him, he’ll sit in front of his desk or behind it for some variety, but today, he is several rows away from the elder’s seat. 

 

doyoung is nonetheless shaken. he avoids eye contact with this “jaehyun,” fearing that it may be some humanoid robot who has taken his place and plans to wipe out human kind. or even worse: it’s an angry jaehyun.

 

an angry taeyong is one thing, but an angry jaehyun is a whole other story. sure, jaehyun gets upset, quite frequently actually. and when he is upset, he gives you hell, so just imagine how it’ll be if he’s  _ really  _ angry at you. doyoung shivers at the idea.

 

interrupting his train of thought, taeyong briskly walks into the classroom, hair unkempt and head down. when he gets closer, doyoung can see the red rings around his  _ very _ tired drawn eyes. his cheeks are stained with dried tears. doyoung is curious to see jaehyun’s reaction, but when he turns his attention to him, the blonde is simply looking forward, the same smiling but empty expression on his face.

 

_ what the hell happened between these two? _

  
  
  


.

  
  
  


donghyuck paces back and forth as the other boys watch him. for the first time, the seven boys are all in a room together with no talking, no laughing, only the squeak of the youngest’s sneakers against the polished marble floors can be heard. even yuta and johnny, unarguably the loudest of the bunch, stare into the distance, dumbfounded.

 

finally, the boy pauses. “do you think… we made it worse?”

 

yuta lets out a loud screech of agony, throwing his head into his hands. “it’s our faults!” he pauses, lowering his voice. “well, maybe not mine. i didn’t do anything.” this earns him an elbow and glare from sicheng, who sits next to him. donghyuck merely sighs at this. he wants to help them get together, not watch as they tear themselves apart. 

 

silence passes over for a minute before johnny speaks up. “no… they’ve been stronger than ever these past few weeks. they’ve been acting weird since the airport thing.”

 

“it probably happened between them,” taeil pipes in. “there’s nothing we can do.”

 

donghyuck nods, a bit more assured at the comments of johnny and taeil. no matter how much it pains his nosy, prying heart. he decides he’ll let the two boys settle it between themselves.

  
  
  


.

  
  
  


remember when donghyuck said he would let jaehyun and taeyong sort out their own problems? yeah, he regrets that. day by day, it seems to get worse. at the lunch table, when jaehyun is there, taeyong isn’t, and when taeyong is there, jaehyun isn’t. in class, they sit rows apart, never interacting and even switching lab partners in science class. 

 

the effect is clear on taeyong, whose eye bags get worse by the day. he hunches over when walks, and the usual milky hue of his face has turned into a pale, ghostly color. it’s a bit harder to spot on jaehyun, though. his habits and actions are the same—save for the ones with taeyong. but if you look closely, you’ll notice he never really smiles anymore. he does smile, but it’s never genuine. it’s always forced and insincere. his dimples have somehow disappeared from his face as well. 

 

it’s during gym class when donghyuck witnesses their first interaction in about a week. he’s running towards the track when he remembers the water bottle he had tucked into his backpack. they’re doing the mile run evaluation that day. donghyuck is no runner so he’s not about to risk fainting and dying and never seeing jaehyun and taeyong get together—that is, if they can figure out how to make up first. 

 

he dashes into the locker room, rummaging through his backpack when he hears hushed whispers. quietly, he approaches the sources of the whispers, recognizing the familiar voices. donghyuck peers over a row of lockers, almost gasping when he sees taeyong and jaehyun facing each other. a tense atmosphere surrounds them, and even donghyuck can sense it. 

 

“jae, i want to talk,” taeyong utters slowly. there’s something deeply sad in the tone of his voice. jaehyun has a deadpan look on his face, staring straight into taeyong’s sad, dark eyes. it’s a scary expression, and donghyuck almost gulps just glancing at it.

 

“there’s nothing to say.” his voice is the same as always, but it’s hollow and void. jaehyun begins walking past the elder when taeyong suddenly grasps onto his hand.

 

“jae, please,” he says weakly.

 

and for the first time in a week, jaehyun’s eyes fill with emotion and his cold expression falters. all the hurt and grief he’s been bottling up is finally displayed, but just as quickly as it comes, it wears off instantly. he shrugs off taeyong’s grip, and walks out of the door, never looking back. small, weak whimpers soon begin to come from taeyong’s mouth. his eyes become clouded with tears, and they spill onto his cheeks, making them damp and splotchy.

 

that’s when donghyuck makes his presence known. pretending that he had not just witnessed the whole straight-out-of-a-soap-opera fiasco, he feigns cluelessly walking in on the boy.

 

“taeyong, are you okay?”

 

taeyong instantly begins using his oversized sleeves to wipe his face—donghyuck notices that the shirt is jaehyun’s—but when the younger boy embraces him into a comforting hug, he allows himself to fully sob into his shoulder.

 

“it’s okay, taeyong. everything’s gonna be okay.”

 

his words are to console both taeyong and himself.

  
  
  


.

  
  
  


just when there’s enough drama, the drama club holds their first showcase of the year. 

 

“let’s go people, the audience is coming in soon!”

 

sicheng is very passionate about the arts, which is why he joined drama club. personally, he believes that he is the best dancer, best singer, best actor, and overall mvp of the whole club. the instructor—who sicheng swears is blind, deaf, and a terrible person altogether—casts him as head of the backstage crew, but sicheng still takes his job very seriously. he is  _ not  _ going to have the critics—parents of students and local teachers—questioning the stage production, which is why he asks his friends to all volunteer and help him on the night of the show.

 

as he watches the horrendous acting of the two lead male and female protagonists, he almost mistakes them for jaehyun and taeyong, except the drama between the latter two is authentic and much more believable.

 

“move it, move it! come on, i have a show to run!”

 

taeil and johnny carry spotlights to the balcony hovering above the stage while mark and donghyuck transport props to the main floor. yuta, who sicheng decides does more harm than help, sits on the floor within the boundaries of his “time out square” that sicheng had drawn out with tape.

 

“this would all be done if you would let me help!” he calls out from his spot. sicheng thinks otherwise and chooses to ignore him. a tap on the shoulder catches his attention. it’s taeyong.

 

“i just finished helping the background dancers with the routine one last time. anything i can do to help here?”

 

sicheng thinks for a second before responding. “there’s some old fairy lights in the storage room, think you can get them?”

 

taeyong nods eagerly, a sheepish smile forming on his face before quickly striding off. sicheng smiles gratefully, happy to see the pink haired boy smile genuinely. jaehyun, who had been handling the ticket sales, bursts into the auditorium.  _ god, they can’t even be in the same room together. _

 

“it’s gonna a full house. the tickets got sold out!”

 

sicheng squeals in delight, clasping his hands together happily. hundreds of people are going to see everything he’s accomplished—

 

a deep rumble suddenly erupts from outside, startling the whole room. 

 

_ oh, fuck no. no, no, no, no, no. this cannot be happening. _

 

sicheng inhales deeply. he did not think that the forces of nature would become his enemy today. he paces around the room, making sure everything is perfect, trying to the best of his ability to not panic. another rumble bellows around the room, this one is much louder and lasts a bit longer.

 

_ okay, who invited thunder and lightning to this show anyway? did they even buy tickets? _

 

he buries his face into his hands prompting the other boys to approach him.

 

“it’s okay, sicheng.”

 

“the show will go on!”

 

“if you had just let me help, this would not have happened.”

 

everyone looks at yuta who, you guessed it, oh so helpfully mentioned the last comment. “this is the gods way of punishing you for not letting me help.”

 

“not the time, yuta!” doyoung hisses. he looks around for a bit, squinting his eyes. “hey, where’s taeyong?”

 

the rest of the boys scan over the room, looking for the small pink haired boy. sicheng swears he sees jaehyun instinctively begin to turn his head to look before stopping himself. 

 

“i sent him out to get some fairy lights from the storage room outside like ten minutes ago. he should be back by now,” sicheng offers worriedly. “ah, shit he’s probably stuck in the rain.”

 

doyoung’s eyes suddenly widen. “taeyong is afraid of thunder!”

 

“oh shit.”

 

the rest of the boys voice their worries, but jaehyun remains silent throughout the exchange. his eyes are fixated to the ground, and his mouth shut in a tight line.

 

“i can go get him,” johnny suggests. he rushes to the door, but just as he’s about to push it open, he feels a hand on his shoulder. when he cocks his head around, he is met with jaehyun’s face.

 

“i’ll go.”

 

and the blonde races through the door, not sparing a glance at anyone else. the rest of the room is left in shock. they remain still for a few moments before yuta suddenly fist pumps into the air, exclaiming “yes!” and soon, the other boys join him.

 

“jaehyun still cares!”

  
  
  


.

  
  
  


jaehyun curses as soon as he’s out the door. he’s angry at himself for giving in. he’s also angry at himself for not being there for taeyong. if he had just watched over him—

 

another rumble of thunder blares through the sky. he can imagine the tiny pink haired boy now, frightened and probably hiding behind the nearest object he can find. he runs  _ faster.  _ he doesn’t hesitate as he rushes outside, raindrops steadily drumming on his skin and his clothes, nearly soaking him. but he doesn’t care because honestly, all jaehyun cares about now is taeyong. the blonde only pauses to slam the door of the storage room open. it’s dark and almost impossible see, but consistent sniffles and stifled sobs come from the corner of the room, and jaehyun makes a beeline for the area. as soon as he lays his sight on taeyong, he scoops his figure into a comforting embrace. as if on instinct, taeyong buries his head into his chest. his hands clutch onto the fabric of jaehyun’s shirt as he sobs into the boy’s chest. he tilts his head up, and that’s when jaehyun can see everything. he sees the dark rings around his  _ very _ swollen eyes probably from bawling his eyes out all night. the color is drained from his face, his cheeks damp from tears, and his lips chapped and dry. 

 

“jae? is that you” taeyong asks in between sobs. jaehyun remains quiet. another roll of thunder flashes across the sky, and the younger notices how it’s extra loud now that he’s outside, and  _ fuck _ , did taeyong have to listen to this all by himself? taeyong reacts by burying his head further into the embrace. as time goes by, the storm begins to die, only a few baby rumbles of thunder and lightning howling through the night sky. 

 

taeyong’s breath steadies, his back no longer heaving high and low. once jaehyun thinks he’s finally calmed down, he begins to break away from the hug, but taeyong stops him, firmly locking his own arms, looped around his neck. “i’m not letting you go this time.”  _ god _ , jaehyun doesn’t even have to see his face to know he’s pouting. “we need to talk.” his strategy would be effective if jaehyun wasn’t bigger and stronger than him; the blonde easily overpowers him, breaking from his tight grasp and standing up onto his feet. he sticks his hand out to him.

 

taeyong looks up into jaehyun’s light brown orbs, as if to ask if it’s okay to take it. the latter nods slightly in response, and slowly, taeyong laces his nimble fingers over jaehyun’s.

 

their walk back to the auditorium is quiet, but it’s a different kind of quiet. it’s a nice kind. the power had gone out due to the thunderstorm so the hallways are pitch black. jaehyun finds his way through the school with his phone light, his other hand guiding the still slightly shaken taeyong. every so often, jaehyun can feel taeyong squeeze his hand slightly, as if to make sure he is still there. if he had not been in his uber angry mode, he would think the gesture is cute—secretly, he still thinks it’s cute, anyway.

 

his phone dies just as they are about to turn a corner. “shit,” jaehyun hisses. he shoves his phone into his pocket. slowly, he glances around.

 

_ yep, still pitch black. _

 

“um, i think i know the way from here,” he says, slurring his words together. roughly, he pulls taeyong to another area of the school. he’s rushing. he doesn’t know why he’s rushing or what he’s rushing for— _ no _ , he knows. it finally hits him. it’s the same feeling he’s been experiencing the whole week: rejection. he feels it in the pit of his stomach. he doesn’t want to be alone with taeyong again. he doesn’t want to be rejected again. they’re alone together, again. taeyong is close, too close, again. and jaehyun swears he’s going to go fucking crazy. a sense of panic brims through his head, and jaehyun feels his feet getting heavier for every step he takes. he’s struck with dizziness, wandering through the hallways aimlessly.

 

_ turn left here _

 

_ turn right at this corner _

 

_ keep straight— _

 

“jaehyun!”

 

it’s taeyong’s voice that pulls him back, finally. jaehyun halts his steps, inhaling deeply.

 

“jaehyun, are you okay—”

 

he snaps. his arms wrap around taeyong’s figure, hoisting him into the air. roughly, he pushes the boy against the nearest wall, bringing their faces together until they’re only inches apart. jaehyun wants to lean in. he so badly wants to lean in. he wants to shove their lips together and explore every part of the other’s mouth. he wants to  _ taste _ taeyong. but he doesn’t.

 

they stay like that for a minute, both taking deep breaths. jaehyun can feel the elder’s soft breath brush against his cheek, making him shiver slightly. just when he’s about to release his grip, taeyong softly utters, “kiss me.”

 

“what?”

 

“idiot,” taeyong chuckles. wrapping his arms around the blonde’s neck, he cocks his head slightly, his mouth ghosting over jaehyun’s ear. “kiss me.”

 

jaehyun freezes. his body goes into shock for a few moments before he finally registers taeyong’s words. he can’t see taeyong, but he can tell that he has that dumb, beautiful angelic expression that jaehyun wants to taint. taint with his own lips. he leans in, slowly, using one hand to cup the other boy’s face and—

 

the lights go on. 

 

taeyong and jaehyun freeze. the pitter patter of footsteps and familiar voices loom closer as they hurriedly attempt to untangle themselves from one another.

 

“ah, i think that’s them!”

 

it’s yuta’s voice. jaehyun has never detested the sound of the boy’s voice more than he did right now. their group of friends eventually catch up to their location, hands on their knees, out of breath.

 

“you guys okay?” doyoung asks in between breaths.

 

and no matter how mad and frustrated jaehyun is right now, he smiles. because,  _ yes _ , taeyong and him are okay. they’re okay. just like always.

 

“yeah.” he looks at the pink haired boy beside him, interlocking their fingers behind them, where no one else could see. “we’re okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOL sorry....... not yet....
> 
> okay i wanted this chapter to be good, and as always.... i failed myself. i tried my best, i really did. thank you for your very expressive comments; they honestly make me laugh & i'm sorry.... just wait on it.... it'll happen... i promise. honestly i can't believe this story has almost 2000 hits????? i'm so thankful and ily guys sososo much <3 i will try to improve my writing in the future and write more nct fics to come! school is starting for me reaaaallllyyy soon so i want to get one more chapter in before i start getting a bit busy and updates start becoming slower. anyways, can we talk about we young... the dreamies are adorable omg.... who are your biases in nct127/dream/u???? my top 4 are taeyong, jaehyun, mark, renjun in that order. i recently got my we young/the first albums and got mark's pcs for both omg i literally cried.... oK i'm babbling now, i apologize...
> 
> unrelated to the story, but i'm thinking about opening a yt channel and uploading some nct edits..... yes, this is a self promo.... i'll link my channel in the next chapter probably heh


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